Thermostatic trap or valve.



F. W. LEUTHESSER.

THERMOSTATIG TRAP 0R VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 16, 1914.

, 5 Patented May 26, 1914.

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FRED W, LEUTHESSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THERMOSTATIC TRAP OR VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Application led February 16, 1914. Serial No. 819,093.

Y condensation, venting the air, and preventing the escape of steam in a wasteful manner; but the use of the trap is not necessarily f restricted to the use above mentioned.

The invention pertains to that type of thermostatic trap or valves in which an expansible post or member made of vulcanite or other suitable composition or material constitutes the acting member or the trap valve.

I desire to here state that, throughout the specication and claims, where the term trap or traps is used, it is intended to cover a construction which would be covered by the term trap or valve, and where the words expansible member are used, it is intended to cover a device which expansible member is held in place; in providing the lower supporting member for the expansible post with a seating face to coact with a seating face around the valve discharge outlet; in providing tension means for normally holding the expansible member raised and in position to permit a discharge from the shell; and in improving generally the construction and arrangement of the several parts entering into the construction of the trap or valve as a whole.`

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the trap showing a solid axial guide and supporting rod for the expansible member; Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing a tubular axial guide and supporting rod for the expansible member with a cross bore adjacent the lower end thereof;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lower end of the expansible member shown in Fig. 2; and

'Figs 4 and 5 are sectional elevations showing a. modification in the construction of the expansible member.

The valve, as illustrated, has an outer shell or casing 1 inclosing a chamber 2 and is provided adjacent to the bottom with a lateralA neck 3 formed with a passage 4f opening into the chamber 2 and provided also at the bottom with a neck 5 formed with a passage 6 into which leads a port or outlet 7 opening into the chamber 2, and the upper end of the port or outlet 7 has a seating face 8 of a tapered formation, as shown. rlhe passage l constitutes the inlet passage for water of condensation to enter the chamber, and the port 7 constitutes the discharge passage for water of condensation from the chamber' 2 during the operation of the trap or valve.

.The neck 3 has an exterior screw-thread for applying any suitable and well known coupling 3a by which the trap or valve can be attached to a radiator or other heating unit,

or appliance, in the usual manner, and the cover 12 has a depending'peripheral flange 13 with an interior screw-thread, engaging the screw-thread 11, and to assure a close joint between-the top wall 140i the cap or cover 12 and the end oi" the neck 9, a washer 15 of lead or other suitable material may be used. A thimble having an annular wall 16 and a'bottom or end wall 17 and inclosing a chamber 18 has an exterior screwthread on its annular wall 16 to engage the interior screw-thread 10 of the end or neck 9 of the shell or casing. A head or 'flange 19 on the end of a depending rod 2Q is slidably entered into the chamber 18 of the thimble, and the rod 2O passes loosely through a hole 21 in the bottom 17 of the thimble. A spring 22 is located in the chamber 18 of the thimblebetween the bottom 17 and the head or flange 19, and this spring 22 eXerts an upward pressure or torce against the head or ange 19, by which the rod is held normally in raised or elevated position. An expansible member 23 of vulcanized rubber or other suitable composition that will expand under heat and contract under cold is provided, and is formed with an axial bore 24. The said member, as will be seen from the drawings, encircles the rod 20 below the bottom 17 of the thimble, the rod passing loosely through the axial bore, but fitting sufliciently close so as to serve as a guide and support for the expansible member, and also serves to prevent any excessive or injurious lateral swelling of the member and to retain the member in its normal straight formation and against liability of curving or bending and becoming untit for use. The lowerend of the rod 2O is screwthreaded to receive a nut or head 25 by means of which the eX- pansible member is held in place on the rod 20 between the bottom 17 of the thimble and the head 25, and can thus be readily removed in case it fails to operate properly from any cause and a new expansible member easily and quickly positioned on the rod 20. This is done by removing the cap or closure 12 and withdrawing the rod 2O and head 25 by turning the thimble, after which the head can be unscrewed permitting the injured or inoperative eXpansible meme ber to be slipped off thel rod 2O and a new member inserted thereon which is locked in place by the nut 25 and the entire device then re-assembled in the casing.

The construction shown has the nut or head ot a cone-shape, so that its exterior face will furnish a seating face 26 to co-act with the seating Jface 8 of the outlet 7 for opening and closing the port or outlet in the operation of the trap. The outlet 7 is open when the rod 20 is in its normal raised position, the expansible member being then cold and contracted, and the port 7 is closed when the rod 20 is forced or carried down by the member 23, expanding under heat, and the seating faces 8 and 26 thus brought into engagement.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the nut 25 has a nick 27 to receive the end of a screwdriver or other instrument to apply and remove the nut, and the annular wall 16 of the thimble at its upper end also has a slot or nick 28 for entering and withdrawing the thimble and the parts connected therewith into and from the neck 9 of the shell or casing, and for properly adjusting the thimble to locate in operative position the seating face 26 in relation to the seating Jface 8.

As shown in Fig. 2, a tubular rod 29 is employed, the hole in the seating nut 25 is deepened, so as to leave a space below the end of the rod 29, with which space a cross hole 31 communicates. This construction enables steam to enter the passage 30 of the tubular rod 29 rand appear at the upper end of the rod for determining whether the seating` nut or head 25 is properly located and adjusted to co-act with'the seating face 8 to control the discharge from the trap. This construction of the seating nut or head 25 and the tubular rod 29 with the cross hole 31 is well adapted for use in adjusting the trap or valve for operation with a vacuum system of steam heating, as with the vacuum on and the seating nut or head raised the steam will be drawn through the port or outlet 7, but with the seating nut or head 25 in position to close the port or outlet 7 the steam will pass through the cross hole 31, flow up through the passage 30 and appear above the head or ange 19, thus showing that the seating nut or head 25 is properly located to close the port or outlet 7 when the post or member 23 is expanded. The adjustment should be made' with steam on, and preferably the cross hole 31 is so located as to be sealed by the water of condensation when the head 25 is seated and prevent the escape of steam through the hollow rod 29 when the trap is in use. As will be seen from a study of the drawings, when the trap is being tested if steam does not come through the tube 29 and give an indication of the valve seating, the user may, by pressing down on the head 19, move the valve and determine how far the valve should be adjusted to properly seat, since the seating will be attended by the emission of steam through the tube 29.

Instead of slotting or nicling the end of the seating nut or head 25, the upper end thereof could be formed hexagonal with a series of flat faces 32 for the reception of a wrench to remo-ve and replace the nut or head, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; the top wall of the cap 12 may have holes to receive a wrench to remo-ve and replace the 110 cap or cover as in Fig. 1. A modification in this construction of eXpansible member and its connection with the thimble is shown in Fig. 5, in which the thimble has an annular flange 33 below the bottom wall into 115 which is entered the upper end of a metal lic tube 34 of thin metal. This tube surrounds the expansible post 23 and serves as an additional protection against the lateral swelling, bending or curving of the expan- 120 sible member. Another' modification of this expansible member is shown in Fig. et, in which the tube 34C is dispensed with, and the iiange 33 surrounds the upper end of the eXpansible member and the lower end of the 125 eXpansible member is encircled or surrounded by an annular fiange 35 on the head 25. This furnishes an additional support against lateral expansion, etc., of the eXpansible member'. It is understood that 130 the length of the flanges 33 and 35 may be j of any degree deemed practical by the maker.

In use, the trap is attached by the neck 3 and a suitable coupling to the return end of the radiator or other device or appliance with which the trap is to be used, and is connected by the neck 5 with a return or other discharge pipe in the usual manner. At the initial start of the heating, the air in the radiator or heating unit will be vented through the outlet 7 which is then open, the'seating nut or head 25 being in its normal or raised position. The steam following the air will enter the chamber 2 and expand the member 23, drawing the rod 2O and head 19 down against the tension of the spring 22, and force the seating head 25 down to bring its seating face 26 into engagement with the seating face S, and close the outlet or port 7, which will remain closed until the water of condensation flowing into the chamber 2 causes the member 23 to contract, at which time the spring 22 will act to raise the head 19 and rod 20 or 29, thus raising the seating head 25, opening the outlet 7, and permitting the water of condensation to discharge. Such discharge will continue until the radiator or heating unit is relieved of the water of condensation, after which steam will again enter the chamber 2 and expand the member 23 to again close the outlet 7, which will remain closed until again openedby the contraction of the expansible member due to the accumulated water of condensation in the chamber 2 of the trap. The port or outlet 7 is alternately closed and opened in the manner described as long as the trap or valve is in operation.

The trap or valve of the present invention possesses the characteristics of ease in assembling the parts, certainty of operation, prevention of injurious'curving, rupturing or damaging of the expansible member, insuring the retention of the expansible member in a straight condition, permitting an injured or inoperative post o r member to be readily and quickly replaced by a perfect one, securing a perfect adjustment between the seating faces, insuringa positive, satisfactory and reliable opening and closing of the trap or valve when in use, and preventing an excessive waste of steam in the operation of the trap or valve.

I claim:

1. In a thermostatic trap or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber and having an inlet opening into the chamber and an outlet port leading from the chamber, an adjustable thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a depending rod extending below the thimble, a head on the upper end of the rod, a spring within the thimble and supporting the rod, an expansible post or member loosely mounted on the rod, and a seating nut or head entered onto the lower end of the rod and retaining the expansible post or member thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a thermostatic trap or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber and having at its lower end a lateral inlet, a vertical outlet and a port betweenthe outlet and the chamber, an adjustable thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a depending rod extending below the thimble, a head on the upper end of the rod, a spring within the thimble bearing against the head and supporting the rod, an expansible member loosely mounted on the rod, and a seating nut or head entered onto the lower end of the rod and retaining the expansible member thereon, substantially as described.

3. In a thermostatic trapV or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber and having at its lower end an inlet and an outlet leading from the chamber, a thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a depending rod exc tending below the thimble into the chamber of the shell or casing, a head on the upper end of the rod, af spring within the thimble bearing against the head and supporting the rod, an expansible member loosely mounted on the rod, a seating head entered onto the lower end of the rod and retaining the expansible member on the rod, and a cap entered onto the upper end of the casing and closing the chamber of the shell or casing at the upper end, substantially as described.

4. In a thermostatic trap or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber having an inlet thereinto and an outlet therefrom for water of condensation, an adjustable thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a head slidable in the thimble, a rod depending from the head and extending through and below the bottom of the thimble, a spring within the thimble bearing against the head and supporting the rod, an expansible member looselymounted on the rod, and a head entered onto the lower end of the rod and retaining the expansible member thereon, substantially as described.- Y

5. In a thermostatic trap or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber, a laterally extending neck adjacent to the lower end of the casing and having a passage opening into the chamber, a neck on the lower end of theeasing and having a passage inl communication with the chamber, an adjustable thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a head slidable in the thimble, a rod depending from the head and extending through and below the bottom of the thimble, an expansible member loosely mounted on the rod, and a head entered onto the lower end of the rod for retaining the eX- pansible member thereon and controlling the discharge from the chamber, substantiall7 as described.

6. In a. thermostatic trap or valve7 the combination of a shell or easing inclosing a chamber, a laterally extending neck adjacent to the lower end of the shell or casing and having a passage opening into the chamber, a neck on the lower end of the casing and having a passage in communication with the chamber, an adjustable thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a head slidable in the thimble, a rod depending from the head and eX- tending through and below the bottom of the thimble, an expansible member loosely mounted on the rod7 a head entered onto the lower` end of the rod and retaining` the eXpansible member thereon and controlling the discharge from the chamber, and a cap entered onto the upper end of the shell or casing, substantially as described.

7. In a thermostatic trap or valve, the combination of a shell or casing inclosing a chamber and having at its lower end an inlet and an outlet with a port between the outlet and the chamber7 a thimble entered into the upper end of the shell or casing, a depending rod extending below the thimble, a head on the upper end of the rod, a spring within the thimble bearing against the head and supporting the rod, an expansible member, and a head entered onto the lower end of the rod and retaining the expansible member thereon, substantially as described.

FRED W. LEUTHESSER.

Witnesses XVM. P. BOND, Eri-rimini BANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

